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Members of the Holy Synod of Bishops meets with ministers of Serbian government regarding March pogrom on Kosovo and Metohia

17. March 2009 - 23:28

Members of the Holy Archbishop Synod of Serbian Orthodox Church met today Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Vuk Jeremic, Minister of Culture and Information Nebojsa Bradic, Minister for Kosovo and Metohia Goran Bogdanovic, associates and Mladjan Djordjevic, consultant of the President of the Republic of Serbia for Kosovo and Metohia.

The Members of Synod and ministers of the Republic of Serbia met regarding five years since the March pogrom in Kosovo and Metohia, when 19 people lost their lives and 950was injured, more than 4 000 Serbs exiled their homes, and 35 Christian sacred sites were demolished.

It was concluded at the meeting that perpetrators have not been found after even fiveyears, but also they expect that UNMIK and EULEX representatives will help in order to find the binders and main perpetrators of this extreme act as soon as possible and bring them to the face of justice. At the same time it is expected of international community to provide maximum support in the processof return for exiled to Kosovo and Metohia (1999 and 2004).

During the meeting with the Synod members a strong determination of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Government of the Republic of Serbia was confirmed for continuation of the restoration of the burnt churches and monasteries in Kosovo and Metohia, according to UN regulations of the 1244 resolution of the Security Council and the Memorandum on the understanding signed in 2005 by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle. It is also necessary to generate renewal and protection of 150 churches and monasteries as soon as possible, which were destroyed by Albanian extremists after bombing and putting under the UN protection in Kosovo and Metohia.